A dataflow is the computer architecture that controls the processing of data. The data may come from a database or be recorded with sensors in real time as the data is processed. Dataflow operators perform tasks with the data as the data passes through each dataflow station. For example, tasks may include grouping data, compressing data, decoding data, or other tasks.
Streamed data is a sequence of data elements where the data elements are sequentially made available over time. When data is streamed in real time through a dataflow, the dataflow processes the data elements such that the processed data elements are also made available to users in real time. For example, the processed streamed data may be displayed in a monitor where users can observe the processed information over time.